Okay but I am in DIRE need of a Rita Calhoun and Rafael Barba meet up/team up in s26/27. Like, maybe one of them is just passing through, maybe Liv calls them to team up on a case.
They should divorce remarry and divorce again that's how divorced they should be
I don't know these characters but they look cute together
I don't know these characters but they should divorce
I have zero opinion on their relationship status
Voting ended onMay 4
Reason:
They are not canonically together but they definitely have history (tm) . They bicker like a married couple that is staying together "for the kids" but the kids actually are begging for divorce. They are on opposite sides of the courtroom and definitely let some personal issues with each other slip into their crosses. Also the sexual tension is shocking. Like they hate each other but also they are married and should divorce immediately because the divorce vibes are so painfully strong.
Tags: hurt/comfort , sick rafael barba , headaches & migraines , AU - canon divergence , post-divorce , harvard university , rita & rafael's harvard days , and they were ROOMATES , there was only one bed , s17 e2 Criminal Pathology
CW: mentions of nasuea , vomiting , and abortion
"--How are your migraines?" She'd asked him, and he almost thought he could hear love peaking through the dripping sarcasm in her voice.
Or:
Rafael has a migraine, Rita is there
"--How are your migraines?" She'd asked him, and he almost thought he could hear love peaking through the dripping sarcasm in her voice. God he hated her. That's what made her so perfect. Rita and Rafael. Enemies from heaven. Soulmates from hell. They had met at opening day at Harvard many years ago now, and it was love/hate at first sight. Rita was the only one in any of his classes to give him a real run for his money, and soon enough the two were sharing a tiny one bedroom apartment 15 minutes away from campus. The arrangement was for them to take turns, with one in the bedroom and the other on the couch, just until they could afford a bigger place. That was never going to last though, with both of them complaining so much when it was their week on the couch that they finally gave in a shared the double bed that took up almost the entire bedroom. It wasn't long before other friends caught on, nagging them about whether they were really just friends, or if something more was going on, because well, they did share a bed after all. Rita was there for him when they first got bad. He'd had migraines since his early teens, but they were always manageable with a few painkillers and a good day's rest. It wasn't until his third year of college that they really got bad. When they began knocking him out for three days straight and he'd have no memory of anything leading up to it. The first time it happened he thought that was it. He was dying. But no, just a bad migraine the ER nurse had told him, after Rita had taken him to the hospital, also thinking he was on death's door. He spent the rest of that night sobbing in between bouts of nausea and vomiting, and begging to sink into the floor and make it all stop. Rita held him that night, rubbing circles on his back and whispering soothing words while she ran her hand through his soft brown hair. Rafael often thought back to that night and how lucky he was to be loved by her, to see that soft, loving side to a woman who is usually so cold and borderline cruel. They spent many more days and nights like that over the course of their friendship, and eventual marriage. Rafael, a heap of tears and pain on the floor and Rita holding him and muttering sweet nothings to him in an attempt to make it all easier. He missed that, especially on days like this. While Rita had clearly been joking, trying to get a rise out of him as she often did, Rafael had a feeling she could see the signs. The aura he had felt that morning should have been a sign to take the day off, but of course, Rafael never took a day off work, ever, and especially not during a case like this. As he looked over the headlines on the papers his ex wife had dumped on his desk he felt the throbbing behind his left eye get worse. Despite taking medication for it before he left for work, the migraine kept getting stronger the longer the day went on. Rafael checked his watch. It hadn't been long enough yet for another dose of codeine, and really, he shouldn't even be taking this much, it probably made the migraines worse rather than better. Without thinking, he raised a hand to his forehead, a vain attempt at soothing the now almost unbearable pain. Rita of course noticed this.
âHmâ she acknowledged "the case really is worsening them, huh? What a shame it would be if someone were to use that to their advantage in court.â
The sarcastic comment earned her a glare from the prosecutor, and she backed off slightly.
âReally that bad?â She asked, sounding almost sympathetic.
âMmâ Rafael managed to get out, the pain now at a level that would have once had him out for days, luckily though, after decades of pain like this, he had learnt to push through. He knew Rita wouldn't drop it though. Her once snarky expression now replaced with genuine concern. No matter how hard either of them tried, despite their work killing their once happy marriage, they could not for the life of them manage to suppress the undying love they had for one another.
Now, Rafael noticed, Rita was making her way around to Rafael's side of the desk, gently dragging a chair along with her. She placed the chair next to him, and before sitting down, she strode purposefully across the room to close the blinds, knowing from years of dealing with Rafael's migraines that letting in unnecessary light was possibly the worst thing one could do at this moment. On her way back to her seat, Rita also shut off the overhead lights, and watched as Rafael noticeably sighed with relief. She knew it wasn't much, and his pain was still clearly bad, but the darkness would help. Rita sat in the chair next to her ex husband, and gently placed a hand on his back, and subconsciously, she began rubbing circles, just as she used to back in their college days. She hated to admit it, but she did truly love the man, and she knew he felt the same. If only their ambitions hadn't taken priority, and if only they hadn't let work destroy their relationship. Perhaps if Rita hadn't had the abortion those years ago they would be a happy family of three, or even more, right now. Instead of bickering over cases and plea deals they could be bickering over who would do the dishes that night, and ultimately settle on making the kid (or kids) do it instead. Thinking of this imaginary argument and family that she would likely never have, Rita placed her free hand under Rafael's chin, lifting his face to meet hers. The two met eyes, and against both of their better judgments, they leant forward, locking into a tired, but gentle, kiss. As the kiss depended, for just a moment Rafael's pain felt as though it lifted.l, and Rita felt as though that distant dream of being an old married couple with the man she had loved since day one of college, wasn't so distant after all.
Is she perfect? No. But I love my girl nonetheless and I have 1.5/5 to go before itâs complete. Thank you @storiesofsvu for the original referenceđ«¶đ»
Pairing(s): Rita Calhoun/Casey Novak, Rafael Barba/Rita Calhoun, Alex Cabot/Casey Novak (implied/referenced)
Word Count: 2.1k
Tags and warnings: v light angst, arguing, ENM/marriage of convenience, toxic relationships, deception, light smut references, workplace relations, language
Notes: i think i might be shadowbanned if that's a thing on here lol. so any reblogs would be a big help thanks
[read on ao3]
Family parties were never as extravagant as they could be. They tried that, when the two of them first came into the money theyâd worked hard to earn. But those parties were always devoid of any personality, of anything that distinguished them from the other dinners and fundraisers they would attend that year.
[continue on ao3 or Keep Reading below]
So when Lucyâs birthday rolled around, the priciest item on the list was the two-tier, custom-order cake covered in all shades of pink and vintage-style frills, complete with fondant ballet pumps on top.Â
It stood pride of place in the middle of their kitchen counter, blown-out candles still smoldering, among the lunch spread put on by Rafa and his mom; where kids from school, from Lucyâs dance class, and their parents alike helped themselves. Ginny and Marie were keeping themselves busy in a faraway corner of the apartment, holding their plates with one hand and covering their mouths to whisper to each other through the other, noses crinkling with stifled laughter under the cheesy pop their youngest was always singing along to.
And the feeling of bliss it all brought Rita, of everyone she loved in one room, having fun, brought with it all the sense of self she needed some days. All the stability she couldnât get at their ages, the security and privilege she worked so hard for, only to pass it along.
She sighed lightly, quietly, gazing out at it all from the kitchen. And it got her thinking.
She wouldnât give up any of it for the world.
Soon enough, the guilt started to creep into the corners of her mind. What the hell was she doing, risking all of this for her?
She still couldnât bring herself to tell Rafa everything. The time to be upfront about her and Casey had been and gone. Even within the looser boundaries of their own making, it was a violation of his trust that threatened to bring down everything with her. Now all she could do was hope she could clean up the mess on her own, without any of it spilling into her other spheres. There was simply too much at stake to get it wrong. Maybe that was why she was so fearful of their inevitable conclusion.
She didnât hear Rafa sneaking up behind her, slinking his hands around her waist. She only flinched a fraction until she realized who it was, sinking back into the embrace with a soft breath, her shoulders dropping.
âYou okay?â He asked over her shoulder, quietly enough for them to only hear each other behind the crowd.
âIâm fine.â She whispered back, âI just, love the yearly reminder of that time I got my stomach cut open, yâknow?â
They looked out into their living room, at little Lucy in her dress-up tiara, dancing in the middle of the rug with her namesake, laughing along with her abuela with the cheesiest grin, complete with the little gap where her most recent baby tooth fell out.
He just held Rita tighter at that, his breath over her ear soothing her. â⊠Worth it though, right?â He asked.
And obviously, it was.
Their arrangement was unconventional, maybe even controversial, albeit less so now than when they first agreed to it. But it was theirs, something that came to them so naturally, to share and mold and treasure to their liking. They took affection from each other when they needed it, and shared in their affection for others. And still, they managed to pull it off, keeping the watertight image of their happy, nuclear family at the forefront, with two wonderful girls who seemed all the better for it. It just worked.
So she couldnât help the tiniest smile in her sigh, relaxing further into his arms. â⊠Of course.â
They stayed like that for a moment, long enough for Ginny to heckle from across the room with a small âgrossâŠ!â before they were interrupted by the apartment buzzer.
âAre we expecting anyone else?â She asked, craning her neck to see if he was as puzzled as she was.
âNot that I know ofâŠâ He unraveled himself from her, starting toward the hallway. âIâll go check.â
He wasnât gone for long before she followed, lingering behind at the threshold of the living room, just overhearing the conversation, just feeling the cool draft from the open door.
âI just wanted to leave this for Lucyââ
âNo please, come in say hi. Come in, both of you⊠Good to see you again.â
"Likewise."
She wasnât expecting Alex to drop by, carrying a large box wrapped in pink paper and glittery ribbon. But even less so, was she expecting Casey to be right there by her side, her hair tied in a tight ponytail, in jeans and zip-up sweater, smiling and playing the role.
Ritaâs mind was catapulted back to that afternoon in the Hamptons just after Christmas. Coming in from the biting cold only to be confronted by the sight of her, sitting with her family, blending in and sticking out all at once, her mere presence threatening to shatter that sanctuary.
Alex and Rafa had gone ahead back into the party, leaving the two of them shuffling awkwardly, even despite Ritaâs jaw tightening the more her mind started to spiral. How serious was this? How much did Alex know? How could Casey do this to her?
Her arms folded tightly around herself, glaring at Casey on her way to the staircase. âWe need to talk. Now.â
And she didnât need to look back, with the untimely creaks on the steps following behind her.
The study was stuffy from the rising warmth of the crowd downstairs, from the early spring sun beaming through the window. It was mostly used by Rafa these days, with Rita practically living in the office as of late. It was his laptop closed on the desk, surrounded by his files and his pens and every reminder of his loyalty to their lifelong pact.
All while the woman who threatened to bring it all crashing down hovered by the door, hesitating to close it over while Rita just kept pacing through the room.
It ultimately stayed open just a crack before Casey turned to her, a palm up in an uncharacteristic surrender. âShe just said she had something to drop off on our way downtown, I didnât know we were coming hereâ"
âI trusted you!â Rita hissed back, whipping around from where she found herself staring out the window. âWhat the hell are you doing seeing someone elseâ?!â
Caseyâs brows furrowed together, her voice lowering to a grievous, growling whisper. âForgive me but isnât that your husband down there in the living room?!â
âMy secretary, of all peopleâ!â
The redhead stepped toward her. âIf you want to talk about keeping things professional, you do not have a leg to stand on here.â
Rita didnât recognize the rage bubbling beneath her skin, begging to claw its way out, demanding her hands make fists and hurting her throat from holding back screams. Instead, she screwed her eyes shut to resist temptation, shaking it out of her head.
â⊠How long?â She asked, her gaze now on the rug beneath their feet.
Casey folded her arms. âI donât think thatâs any of your businessâ"
âYouâve been fucking me for months, Casey, that makes it my business.â
â⊠Not that long.â She still somehow managed to shrug it all off, like she wasnât actively tearing down Ritaâs fantasies right in front of her. âCouple weeks.â
So they werenât together that last weekend they shared in the hotel. The one where they bared more than their souls to one another, where Rita confessed just how terrified she was of risking exposure. And Casey still had the gall to see Alex in response.
âI thought you werenât looking for a girlfriend?â
âNot from you.â Casey said, a little too pointedly. âThatâs not what this is, what we are.â She studied Ritaâs expression some more. The pursed lip, the slow, deliberate breathing. âOh my God, youâre jealousââ
âItâs also true.â Casey quipped, taking in the room that seemed to reject the other woman as much as it did her. She wandered over to the shelves, running a finger through the fine dust that always managed to gather again the minute their cleaner left. âI mean⊠your husband obviously doesnât satisfy you, or you wouldnât be looking elsewhere. But when I do the same, thatâs an issue?â
â⊠I donât satisfy you?â
She turned back to find Ritaâs eyes wide, even from across the room she'd managed to hit a nerve. âYou know thatâs not what I meant.â
But it had already sent more questions through Ritaâs mind in rapid-fire succession. Maybe none of this was genuine after all. Maybe Casey was just that good at pretending she wasnât after money, and was willing to have some fun of her own in the process of getting it.
Not only was that fragile trust theyâd spent months building up finally starting to crack, in an instant it now threatened to shatter all over the floor in the last place Rita wanted to be dealing with it, with her family just meters below their feet. She wasnât sure she could control herself if she said anymore about it out loud. Not here, and not now.
So they let the air between them freeze over instead, the chill doing battle with the stubborn sunbeam warming Ritaâs back.
And that breeze only got stronger when the door swung open further, Rafa tilting his head at the silent scene unfolding in front of him.
âEverything okay in here?â He asked, his eyes squarely on his wife, the deer in headlights.
Caseyâs jaw seemed to hesitate in a way Rita found curiously unsettling. In all those months, sheâd never seen the redhead at a loss for words. Not in any meaningful, genuine way. She always had the look of someone thinking three steps ahead, whether at her desk in the office or on top of Rita in the bedroom. Even while telling Rita the story of her ex, she didnât look this exposed.
The young woman was evolving, softening, right in front of her. With a little more time she even mightâve been able to pick out the parts already falling under Alexâs spell. This wasnât the same woman that sought her out before the holidays.
But none of what Rita was thinking seemed to compel Casey into answering any faster, and Rafaâs eyebrow only raised more in waiting.
âYes, sorry, Iââ she finally eked out, clearing her throat at the spike in pitch. âI was just looking for your bathroom, got a little lost.â
She managed to slip back into character, but Rita knew what she saw.
Rafaâs face remained unchanged, however. His own tone flat, ambiguous. â⊠Thereâs one along the hall, you walked right by it.â
Casey nodded, approaching him with a hurried, too casual âthanks', and Ritaâs heart was unable to beat until she slipped past, through the doorway and out of sight.
The revelations of the last few minutes were making Rita dizzy, the sheer act of the tension leaving her body made her head throb enough to compulsively rub at her temple with the heel of her hand.
He hurried over at the sight, rounding the desk and landing right in front of her. âYou alright?â
âYeah, justâŠâ she sniffed back something she would confidently blame on allergies later, unable to meet his eye. âBit of aâ bit of a headache.â She was murmuring so quietly he had to lean in closer just to hear her, his hand slipping around her waist once more.
âWhy donât you go lay down?â
She shook her head, focusing instead on the stitches over the shoulder of his shirt. âNo, no, not with everybody still hereââ
âThey will all still be here in an hour.â His hands slid up to her shoulders, one rubbing down her arm with the other tucked her hair back. âJust take an Advil, go lay down, mom and I will see to the hyperactive grade-schoolers invading our living room. Okay?â
She was so tempted to melt into his touch, the most familiar anchor in her rollercoaster of an existence. Always there, always grounded. At the end of it all, she could always come home to him.
âOkayâŠâ she finally conceded with the smallest nod, letting herself be led back out of the study. âokayâŠâ
[read in full on ao3]
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just got a fic idea for a fandom i decidedly do not write for...
but imagine Barba and Calhoun (somehow for some reason idk) have an 11/12 year old daughter together. the image and idea of them co-parenting is just very interesting to me. very partial to the names Beatriz or Vivian Barba-Calhoun as names for their daughter.
especially when they go up against each other a lot in court. (and, when rita realises that rafael is lowkey in love with olivia...)
are they exes? are they divorced? just two friends that fucked around and then found out in the form of a child?? WHO KNOWS. but interesting to explore nonetheless.
#project hail mary
#lana del rey
